Elgin Taylor, Gleaner WriterLLUIDAS VALE, St. Catherine:
THE MINISTRY of Education, Youth and Culture has been taking a proactive stance in an effort to improve delivery of the education product islandwide. This has come on the heels of recent criticism of student's performance generated primarily by the Minnott and Thompson's report.
To this end, the education ministry, along with the teachers and private sector interests, has come up with a standardised instrument to assess and evaluate teacher performance in schools.
The instrument is based on the principles of Management by Objectives (MBO), a technique developed by Peter Drucker in the 1950s. The main tenet being that each member of the organisation will be involved in goal setting exercises, and will work to achieve his or her individual goals, which will form part of the organisation or school's main goals. This management approach motivates, builds morale and is result-oriented.
Its use is to be seen as a collaborative effort in the schools, and it is to be institutionalised. This disclosure was made by Trevor Morgan, territorial education officer with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture, as he addressed a gathering of principals at Phillippo Baptist Church, Spanish Town on December 7, 2004.
RAISING THE BAR FOR TEACHERS
He said the appraisal instrument was piloted in a number of schools in the Region 5 and that the response was good. He also charged the principals to begin the sensitisation process with the teachers as soon as they return to their schools. The education officer added that though the teacher is the focus of the exercise, it should be borne in mind that the bottom line is the enhancement of students' learning. He said to achieve this, teachers need to raise the bar to set high standards, and seek to achieve the best practice.
The instrument is very comprehensive and covers all areas of a teacher's pedagogical skills and his/her interpersonal and professional development. Sub-headings to be covered in the appraisal exercise include: plannings for student learning; teaching for student learning; creating classroom environment for student learning; professional development; interpersonal skills; leadership and management skills.
